Mitsubishi Pajero VS Lexus NX
Mitsubishi Pajero
Likes
Dislikes
Lexus NX
Likes
- Plush cabin space with nice trims
- Premium technology that's easy to use
- Refined on road driving experience
Dislikes
- Misses out on a few items for a flagship model
- Not as flashy inside as rivals
- Plug-in hybrid powertrain won't win over everyone
Summary
Mitsubishi Pajero
Mitsubishi’s Pajero is a genuine seven-seater 4WD wagon with a lot of substance and little in the way of pretence.
It’s functional without being at all flashy and that suits plenty of people – real people – but the Pajero’s traditional styling and paucity of driver-assist tech, compared to some of its rivals, are factors enough when combined to keep its fanbase, only medium-sized but still very loyal.
Read on.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 3.2L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 9.1L/100km |
| Seating | 7 seats |
Lexus NX
The Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport is a well-specified and plush-looking medium SUV that has a plug-in hybrid powertrain - a first for the brand.
On paper, it seems to tick the boxes for size, luxury and efficiency but we've been testing the flagship grade to see if it's a winning combo in real life.
Read more about
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| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L |
| Fuel Type | Hybrid with Premium Unleaded |
| Fuel Efficiency | 1.3L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Mitsubishi Pajero7/10
The Pajero is an old-style 4WD with plenty of heart but sorely lacking safety tech, including stuff like AEB, that’s offered in much cheaper vehicles. Its engine is a bit gruff, its ride is a bit firm and its price-tag seems steep for something so out of step with the current 4WD wagon market.
It is, however, a solid all-rounder: it’s a good daily driver, a decent off-road tourer and it makes a solid towing platform. The Pajero is not flashy or overly stylised – and that’s part of its simple charm. Plus there are heaps of accessories for it including alloy nudge bar, Thule luggage pod, roof-rack cross bars, Thule bike carrier and more.
If it was cheaper, and had more safety tech, it would be a more appealing buying proposition.
Lexus NX8/10
The Lexus NX450h+ F Sport is a gorgeous mid-size SUV that combines great specs and a fairly efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s a comfortable and easy ride which should appeal to a wide range of driving styles. It also looks good parked at the kerbside of a city street and with it ticking most of the boxes, it may become your new best friend.
Design
Mitsubishi Pajero
It’s still a chunky-looking vehicle, with hard edges and a straight-up-and-down appearance, which is fine, I reckon. It manages to narrowly avoid a generic SUV-look.
The interior is a family-friendly space with plenty of room, simple clean lines, and durable surfaces.
Lexus NX
The NX simple looks like a scaled-down version of its larger RX cousin, so if you like that you’ll like what the NX.
It looks sweeter, though, with its smaller proportions being only 4660mm long and 1670mm high but there’s enough sharp pleating in the panelling and rear LED lights to give it a sporty edge. It’s a design that should appeal to a wide range of people.
The interior helps the NX compete against some of its flashier rivals, but the BMW X3's interior beats it hands down with the wow factor. Still, the dual-toned leather upholstery and fabrics of our test model scream understated luxury.
The perforated leather of the seats is supple underhand, but even the robust synthetic leather on the backs of the seats and some door panelling feels like the real stuff most of the time.
The dashboard components – like the air vents, displays and accents – are well integrated and seem well-built. The cockpit is intimate and plush overall, and it always reminds you that you're in the cabin of a luxury vehicle.
Practicality
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Pajero is easy to get in and out of. Even climbing into the third row, if you’ve been banished there, doesn’t require the dislocation of your own limbs, or the need to adopt a posture not unlike something a yoga master might do in a tight space in order to drink his or her mug of piping-hot dirty chai.
Front-row seats are generally supportive but are on the firm rather than plush side of things. Durable plastic surfaces abound and the seats are covered in “sports cloth with leather-look bolster” (fabric seat trim with synthetic leather bolster in real words), which is all nice-looking enough and able to cope with life’s messiness – yes, I’m talking about everyone’s kids.
The multimedia system is a workable unit with a clear 7.0-inch screen.
The dashboard and controls are still a bit old-school but it’s all easy enough to locate and operate.
The second row, a 60/40 split-fold arrangement, offers enough comfort and is easy to fold and push forward, or lock into place and slide forwards or backwards.
The third row isn’t terrible but it is quite firm.
Second- and third-row passengers get air vents.
As for storage options, driver and front passenger get cupholders between their seats, second-row passengers have a drop-down arm-rest incorporating two cupholders and third-row passengers get a cupholder each.
In terms of cargo room in general there is: 170 litres (with all seats in use); 846-litres (with third-row seats folded away); 1429-litres (with second- and thirds-row seats folded away). There is a listed maximum capacity of 1789-litres (but that’s if the second- and third-row seats are folded away and you pack to the ceiling.)
There are four tie-downs on the floor at each corner of the rear cargo area.
Lexus NX
The cabin of the NX is spacious where it needs to be for four adults to be comfortable on a longer journey, and features enough equipment to satisfy most.
Access is best at the front because of the wider door apertures and while still easy enough to get in and out of from the back, the rear wheel arch cuts into the aperture a bit.
The front seats are very comfortable with thick padding, tall side bolsters that lock you into place in a turn as well as heating and cooling functions.
The back seats are almost as comfortable as the front! However, the outboard seats offer the best under-thigh support. It is a shame that they miss out on heat functions for its grade level, though.
Storage is fairly good for the class, with lots of small item cubbies up front like a sunglasses holder, a mini drawer next to the drivers' knee and a dedicated phone holder and two cupholders. The large glove box (that can hold more than just a manual) and mid-size middle console shoulder most of the storage burden, though.
In the back you get a couple of map pockets, small storage bins and two cupholders. which is most than enough for this size of SUV.
The boot offers an impressive 520L of capacity and a level loading space makes it an easy car to slide larger gear in and out of. The little storage compartment under the floor is handy for charging cables and the hands-free powered tailgate is always handy to have.
The technology is a nice mix of easy-to-use and high-end with a responsive touchscreen on the 14-inch multimedia display. The system has built-in sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CarPlay was simple to set up and has maintained a steady connection with my iPhone this week.
Charging options are decent with two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket per row, as well as a wireless charging pad up front.
Price and features
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Exceed has gone and the GLS is now the top-tier buy of a two-variant range which includes the cheaper GLX.
The current drive-away offer for 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero GLS is $56,990. Beyond all of the standard GLS gear – including heated and powered front leather seats, leather-topped steering wheel, 7.0-inch colour touchscreen media unit (with Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Bluetooth), rear parking sensors, automatic wipers and headlights, 18-inch wheels, and cargo blind – the GLS gets a Rockford Acoustic Design premium sound system with 12 surround-sound speakers and an integrated 10-inch subwoofer. The system has HDMI, two USB inputs and AM/FM/DAB radio.
Of course, in terms of off-road gear, you also get Mitsubishi's Super Select II 4WD system, as well as centre and rear diff-locks.
Lexus NX
With a price hike of almost $6K, our flagship NX sits at $95,900 before on-road costs, but it's still slightly more affordable than its top-grade plug-in hybrid rivals.
The Volvo XC60 Ultra is priced from $101,390 and the outgoing BMW X3 xDrive30e sits at $102,500.
In the flagship variant, the standard features list is well-rounded to include both practical and luxury equipment. There are electric front seats with heating and cooling, an F Sport steering wheel with heating and touch controls, a sunroof, rear privacy glass, and a power-adjustable steering column.
Other items include a powered tailgate with a kick-to-open function, dual-zone climate control with a humidity sensor, parking assist, keyless entry/start, a digital key, Lexus Connected services app, a digital rearview mirror and 20-inch alloy wheels.
The technology looks gorgeous with the 14-inch touchscreen multimedia display taking centre stage with built-in satellite navigation, Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
You also get a 10-speaker Lexus premium sound system, which has AM/FM radio, MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) compatibility. There are four USB-C ports (2/2), a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad.
So while our test model misses out on some of the items you might expect to see for a top-model grade – like three-zone climate control and heated rear outboard seats – it still feels well-specified.
Under the bonnet
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Pajero has a 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (141kW at 3800rpm and 441Nm at 2000rpm), teamed with a five-speed automatic transmission. The engine is gruff when pushed hard, but it’s very gutsy.
The Super Select II 4WD system, of which I’m a fan, is retained.
Lexus NX
The NX450h+ F Sport is the first attempt at a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Lexus. It pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors, one located at each end of the car for all-wheel drive. Together they produce up to 227kW of power, but Lexus doesn’t quote the combined torque figure (cheeky).
The flagship model can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds and features a smooth continuously variable transmission.
Overall, it moves quickly and the shift between the electric and engine components is barely noticeable.
Efficiency
Mitsubishi Pajero
Fuel consumption is listed as 9.1L/100km (combined). We recorded 10.35L/100km after 640km of general driving, including about 30km of 4WDing (in high range) and about 10km of low-range 4WDing thrown into the mix. The Pajero has an 88-litre fuel tank.
Lexus NX
The flagship NX has a smallish 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery and a Type 2 charging port but no CCS enhancement, which means you can’t hook it up to a fast DC charger.
On a standard AC 240-volt domestic plug port, you can charge this from 0-100% in around 7hrs 30mins. You get a great electric-only NEDC-rated driving range of up to 87km and that means you really only have to charge it every other day, which I appreciated.
The official combined fuel cycle usage is 1.3L/100km, but you won’t really see that in the real world. After doing some longer trips mixed in with city slicking, my average real-world usage popped out at 6.5L/100km, and I averaged 20.2kWh/100km when in pure EV mode. They’re not the best hybrid figures I’ve seen for the class, but they're not too bad either.
Driving
Mitsubishi Pajero
For a blocky seven-seater 4WD with a listed kerb weight of 2319kg, and at 4900mm long (with a 2780mm-long wheelbase), 1875mm wide and 1900mm high, the Pajero manages to get around rather nicely. It’s quick off the mark and agile and, with an 11.4m turning circle, the Pajero is easy enough to manoeuvre with precision on city streets.
Because the cabin is straight up and down and its glass areas are so prevalent, all-round visibility for the driver is tremendous, making it easy to position – and that translates into a direct advantage for off-road efficacy as well, which we’ll get to in a bit.
As mentioned, the engine is gutsy, with plenty of low-down urge and, matched with the five-speed auto (really, who needs more than five?), and if driven energetically this Mitsu is a lively drive on bitumen for such a substantial 4WD.
Speaking of 4WD, how’d it go off-road? I’m glad you asked – see below.
Lexus NX
This NX feels like it has lots of power in reserve when you put your foot down and never struggles going up big hills. When it’s in pure EV mode, it’s very quiet but there’s no big fanfare when this kicks over to the traditional engine. You barely notice it until you’re on the open road travelling at higher speeds, and that’s when the engine starts to sound more growly like its non-hybrid siblings.
The steering is forgiving without feeling too light and around town, the NX is nimble and sure of itself. The suspension is on the firmer side, so you’ll hear and feel the bigger bumps, but it never feels rough.
Visibility is decent with the largish windows, and the pillars that aren’t too wide from my driving position. I do like having the digital rearview mirror, though, because when you have a big car seat or tall adult in the back seat, the vision back there is hindered.
It’s pretty hard to find a modern car that’s terrible to park, especially in the mid-size SUV segment, and the NX is no different. Even in a small car space, you still have good clearance around you, which hopefully translates to less dings from neighbouring cars!
The 360-degree view camera system is top notch with its quality, and I like that the car disappears and you can see the ground underneath.
Safety
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Pajero has a five-star ANCAP rating as a result of testing in 2011. It has six airbags (driver and front passenger SRS airbags, driver and front passenger side SRS airbags, curtain SRS airbags), two ISOFIX points on the left and right second-row seats, three child restraint top tether points as well as emergency brake assist and a reversing camera, but it’s missing stuff like auto emergency braking and lane-departure warning.
Lexus NX
The NX comes with a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and scored very highly across its individual assessment scores; 91 per cent for adult protection, 89 per cent for child protection, 83 per cent for vulnerable road user, and 92 per cent for its safety assist systems.
Eight airbags are standard which includes a front centre airbag and driver's knee airbag.
Other safety equipment includes emergency steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, lane-keeping aid, emergency lane keeping, traffic sign recognition, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic alert, LED daytime running lights, LED cornering lights, tyre pressure monitoring, and an emergency call button.
The only safety item which can feel intrusive when driving is the adaptive cruise control as it has a feature that scans for bends in the road and will slow the car down in anticipation of them. On paper, this isn’t a bad thing but in practice, it was sporadic when it activated and sometimes slowed the car dramatically on bends you wouldn’t even call bends!
AEB with car, pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, backover and intersection turning assist is standard and operates from 5.0 - 80km/h (up to 180km/h for car detection).
There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points in the rear row. The seat isn't wide enough to accommodate three child seats side by side, so two will fit best.
Ownership
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Pajero is covered by Mitsubishi’s five-year/100,000km warranty with five-year perforation corrosion cover.
Capped-price servicing is available for the vehicle's first three years (at $479 a pop, for a total cost of $1437). Service intervals are scheduled at 15,000km/12 months.
Lexus NX
The NX is offered with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is on par with its European rivals.
It comes with a five-year capped price servicing program, where services are competitively priced at $595 each.
Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.